2012 Will Be The Year Of The Carousel! November 30, 2011

Several years ago a group of Pottstown citizens formed a committee with a common goal to revitalize our once-proud downtown area and make it a safe and appealing hub of activity for families to enjoy. We knew that, realistically, we could not revive every building on every street, but we knew from studying other depressed towns whose urban centers had made remarkable comebacks that a single, unique attraction often proved to be the inspiration for a turnaround.

For a number of cities, the downtown attraction that brought families and businesses back — right along with the pride of community that had been lost — was a carousel.
We decided that a carousel for Pottstown could be a reality and committed ourselves to achieving this goal for our children, grandchildren and future generations who will call Pottstown “home.”

This initial influx of money has enabled us to purchase a 1905 carousel mechanism made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company and to commission animals, which have been carved by world-famous carousel artisan Ed Roth.

This project represents a wonderful opportunity to restore a sense of place to our downtown. Please help us make a huge difference in our town’s society, economy, and the quality of life that we pass to our children.

The Carousel at Pottstown is an official part of the Community and Economic Development Action and Implementation Strategy for Pottstown. Thus far, the project has won support from the Mayor and Borough Council, the Pottstown Historic Society, Preservation Pottstown, the American Carousel Society, the Pottstown Artists Guild, US Congressman James W. Gerlach, State Senator John Rafferty, State Representative Thomas Quigley, and the Tri-County Area Chamber of Commerce.

The pictures span over a 4-5 year period. Each animal on the Carousel has been hand-carved by a Disney Artist in California, shipped to our Work Shop on High St, where volunteers sand, prime and paint each animal. On average each animal has taken approx 200 hours from start to finish. We have some amazing artists in Pottstown that have pained these animals, volunteering one night a week for several years.

The most recent pictures are of the Carousel after numerous hours of cleaning, painting and erecting the Carousel. Again this is all volunteers.

We hope to have the Carousel turning by early 2012. The building will not be completed due to more funds needed, but people will be able to ride the Carousel. People called it a pipe dream, in 2012 we can call it REALITY!